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Sister act: A ‘Sisterakas’ review

Start with a generous dose of comedy. Sprinkle with equal parts shock and scream value. Add moral lessons and a little romance. Mix well and what do you got? The recipe for a box-office success, that’s what.

Real-life friends Vice Ganda, Ai Ai delas and Kris Aquino, co-producers of “Sisterakas” (with Star Cinema and Viva Films) are now laughing all the way to the bank because their movie is doing well at the tills. The 38th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) awards night on Dec. 27 also named it Third Best Picture.

As Pinoy as can be

After all, it's as Pinoy as can be. Second families like the one Totoy/Bernice (Vice) come from are common, even in this highly-Christian nation. The legal wife (Dette’s mother) crucifies the mistress (Vice’s mom, played by Gloria Diaz) till kingdom come.

That’s exactly what happened to Toto, who grows up to become the successful Bernice of Ponytale Apparel. His mother is crippled for life after Dette’s mom throws her down the stairs. So Bernice and his mom live for the day when they can seek revenge from Dette’s tribe.

As fate would have it, Bernice and Dette’s paths cross when she applies as his nth assistant. And so the circus begins.

The half-sisters’ confrontation scenes – screaming matches laced with flashback scenes are funny, not heated. Yes, they get outrageous, to the point of being impossible. But you end up loving Dette and Bernice despite themselves because you suspect they’re not serious, after all. You end up asking yourself if they’re just playing a game.

But of course, this film is out-and-out comedy -- and exaggeration as well.

Your eyes pop when you see Bernice walking, his back thrown all the way back. His tanga-like gown and over-the-top smirk shock and tickle the funny bone.
It’s shock and awe – with loads of laughter along the way.

Allusion to James Yap

The same applies to Kris Aquino (as Roselle, Bernice’s arch business rival), who bats her long, curly, colored lashes to the point of distraction. To her credit, Kris even pokes fun at herself by calling her assistant James (DJ Durano), who always replies with a “Yup!” (as in James Yap) to her orders.

My seatmates at the cinema didn’t laugh at this allusion to her ex-husband. But the idea is amusing, proof that Kris can take a joke alright.

The actual jokes are few, the laughter a knee-jerk response to some (take note – not all) scenes. But all in all, the effect – especially of Vice Ganda’s catty ways and open gayness -- is a people pleaser. No, he doesn’t put down his fellow gays. He just shows them as they are. The honesty sees him hitting the masa’s funny bone, bull’s eye.

Don’t let the pick-up lines (between Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s characters), smirks, outlandish costumes and funny moments fool you.

“Sisterakas” carries a far-from-funny, even serious message. And this makes up for some of the ridiculous, hard-to-believe scenes.

Kris aptly calls it “redeeming value” – something that will give you a wide, wide smile, not because you got the joke. It comes from learning something a lot more lasting, more valuable.

It’s the true meaning of sisterhood – sisterakas, as the movie puts it. It’s about making mistakes and mending ways – together.

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed.